Wednesday, February 18
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber; He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
—Psalm 121:2-3
We hear so much these days about doing things one step at a time, and it is a good way to live. That's what occurred to me as we climbed. We had to watch each step, gauge which rock to step on, and be alert to sharp cactus beside the trail. I found myself lost in the process of climbing, totally focused on the path.
Before long, we reached the halfway mark, and then the going really got rough; the rocks were now boulders, and the pathway dropped precipitously on one side. I understand that the view was breathtaking (I did not look), but as I slowed my steps and fought panic, I started saying, He will not let your foot be moved. It worked. I felt more confident and continued to the mesa above, where the view was indeed fabulous.
He will not let your foot be moved, I said to myself as we started down, which was even scarier than going up. But somehow I believed what I was saying and my body responded.
I wonder: how can I use this experience in my daily grind at home? How can I apply this rough, challenging path to the hard times we all experience? What I learned today is to take it one step at a time, and to always remember that God walks within, behind and before us, enabling us to take steps we never dreamed we could take.
Keep us ever mindful, O God, that you walk with us in all the pathways of our lives. Amen.
These Signposts originally appeared on explorefaith in 2006.